BY FORMER REP. TONY COELHO (D-CALIF.), OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 02/14/18 06:30 AM EST 28THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN AND NOT THE VIEW OF THE HILL

The experience of having a disability profoundly shapes one’s life. It affects how one lives, where one learns, if one works, what our personal relationships are like, and how we interact with our community. This is not just because of the disability, but also because of the responses from people around us — their attitudes, their interactions and their inclusion — or exclusion — of us.

My epilepsy (defined as chronic seizures), which I’ve had since I was a teenager, has been a defining characteristic of my life. It influenced my decision to focus my career while in Congress and afterwards on improving the lives of people living with disabilities. I was a lead sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it was introduced in the House of Representatives in 1988, and I am proud to see that the ADA continues to open doors and change lives. The ADA has become a worldwide model for codifying equal opportunity, equal access, full inclusion, and maximum independence for people with disabilities.Now, that legacy is under attack. Last year, the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives voted to advance HR 620, disingenuously named the “ADA Education and Reform Act.” This legislation would undermine the ADA and so much of the progress we have made, decreasing access for people with disabilities by removing the substantive requirements businesses and services have to meet — no longer guaranteeing access, but instead mandating a business only make “substantial progress” towards access.

HR 620 prevents people with disabilities from seeking immediate legal recourse to protect their rights. Instead, the bill would require people with disabilities to go through a bureaucratic process to inform businesses exactly what portion of the ADA has been violated and what changes need to be made to meet its obligations. It then requires people with disabilities to wait up to 6 months or more before they could go to court to protect their rights.

This law would mean people with disabilities have to become legal experts just to participate in society, and it removes any incentive for businesses to proactively comply with the ADA. This is not how civil rights laws are supposed to work.

This is not an abstract or anachronistic problem. We’ve made meaningful progress towards accessibility in this country; technological innovations, curbs cuts, accessible government buildings and websites, as well as services allowing people with disabilities to live in their communities rather than be institutionalized.

But still, people with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty, to not own their homes, and to be unemployed than any other group of Americans. In my home state of California:

A woman who uses a wheelchair had to leave a wedding party in Sacramento because the restrooms in the refurbished mansion rented out for private events had doors so narrow that she could not enter.A small café on the Sonoma County coast has a small steep ramp. A young man and his mother, a wheelchair user in Sonoma County, have been prevented from eating at a café when the owner let the ramp leading to the only accessible seating become overgrown with plants. The woman has written two letters asking the business to fix the problem and informing it about the tax credit available for small businesses of up to $5,000 per year. She has never received a response.A restaurant in Sebastopol has only tall tables with high chairs, impossible to access by most people who use wheelchairs and people of short stature.

These are just a few examples of the injustices and insults people with disabilities experience every day across the country. So why are members of Congress pushing a bill to weaken the rights of people with disabilities? Why are they destroying the intent and spirit of the ADA?

Proponents of HR 620 insist that businesses need more time. They assert that businesses need to be protected from unscrupulous lawsuits. Yet the ADA has been the law of the land for almost 30 years. During that time, the federal government has conducted thousands of trainings for businesses and established ADA technical assistance centers that serve every state, free to any business owner. Businesses receive tax credits and tax deductions to reduce costs for access features.

We can address the problem of unscrupulous lawyers without taking away the rights of millions of Americans. I have been a strong supporter of the business community, and believe businesses can play a role in creating a better community for us all. I also believe it is good business to provide access to people with disabilities. Sixty million Americans with disabilities are a customer base that businesses cannot afford to ignore.

The irony here is that there are real problems with ADA compliance and enforcement that we can — and should — be working to fix. Almost 30 years after its passage, despite millions of government dollars spent on educating and supporting business owners, too many stores and public businesses are still inaccessible. The same companies who are so concerned about the cost of making their businesses accessible are, by ignoring their customers with disabilities, also missing the real opportunity to increase their bottom lines by providing services for more people.

People with disabilities deserve better. Nearly three decades after passage of the ADA, we should be encouraging businesses to open their doors, not slam them in the face of paying customers.

Instead of bringing this bill to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote, I urge Speaker Ryan to shelve HR 620, and focus instead on improving access for all Americans and full integration of people with disabilities into their communities. This bill is bad for America, bad for business, and bad for the consuming public.

Tony Coelho is a former U.S. representative from California’s Central Valley and one of the authors of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

On Tuesday, January 31, Center for Independence was presented with a 2017-2018 Community Grant award from the San Bruno Community Foundation. The San Bruno Community Foundation is the nonprofit organization that was created by the City of San Bruno to administer the $70 million restitution funds received from PG&E after the San Bruno pipeline explosion in 2010. The Foundation, in conjunction with YouTube/Google.org, awarded $300,000 in grant funds to community organizations providing beneficial services to the San Bruno community.

Center for Independence is thankful for the San Bruno Community Foundation for this award, which will allow us to provide emergency preparedness training and emergency kits to seniors and individuals with disabilities in San Bruno.

​Future dates for emergency preparedness events are to be determined. Continue to follow CID blog and social media for upcoming events.

Pictured: CID Board Vice President Mike Levinson, CID Board President Jody Yarborough, and San Bruno Community Foundation Secretary John McGloghlin.

ABUSED AND BETRAYED: KEY FINDINGSAt a moment of reckoning in the United States about sexual harassment and sexual assault, a yearlong NPR investigation finds that there is little recognition of a group of Americans that is one of the most at risk: people with intellectual disabilities.

People with intellectual disabilities are sexually assaulted at a rate seven times higher than those without disabilities. That number comes from data run for NPR by the Justice Department from unpublished federal crime data.

People with intellectual disabilities are at heightened risk at all moments of their daily lives. The NPR data show they are more likely to be assaulted by someone they know and during daytime hours.

Predators target people with intellectual disabilities because they know they are easily manipulated and will have difficulty testifying later. These crimes go mostly unrecognized, unprosecuted and unpunished. And the abuser is free to abuse again.

Police and prosecutors are often reluctant to take these cases because they are difficult to win in court.

Pauline wants to tell her story — about that night in the basement, about the boys and about the abuse she wanted to stop.But she's nervous. "Take a deep breath," she says out loud to herself. She takes a deep and audible breath. And then she tells the story of what happened on the night that turned her life upside down."The two boys took advantage of me," she begins. "I didn't like it at all.".........READ MORE? Click on link below for the full article written by Joseph Shapiro January 8, 2018 Heard on NPR: All Things ConsideredThe Sexual Assault Epidemic No One Talks Abouthttp://flip.it/BJ4L_P​​

Please contact our AT Coordinator Vincent Lopez at 650-645-1780x127 or VLopez@cidsanmateo.org to join the interest list for future demonstrations. We will reach out to individuals on the interest list when demonstrations are scheduled.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) can make daily living challenging. As the disease progresses, the motor symptoms such as tremor or shaking, stiffness, slow movements, and unsteady balance can make it difficult to accomplish everyday tasks, but there are many assistive devices available to make daily activities easier. Assistive devices can also help improve a person’s safety around the home and reduce the risk of falls.

Assistive devices for walking. When people with PD develop a shuffling gait or difficulty balancing, walkers or canes can provide added stability while walking. The proper fit is important in selecting a walking aid, as the height needs to support a proper posture. Straight canes work better for people with PD than tripod or quad canes. For walkers, four-wheeled walkers offer better stability for people with PD rather than those that need to be lifted. For people with late stage PD, a wheelchair or electric scooter might be needed to get around.1

Assistive devices for eating. Several companies have developed utensils that make eating easier for people who experience the tremor or shakiness of PD. Some utensils have larger, weighted handles that are easier to grip, such as those by KEatlery and Good Grips. The Liftware utensil has a sensor in the handle that neutralizes the tremor, keeping the utensil steady. Liftware reduces the shaking of the utensil by approximately 70% and works best for those with mild to moderate tremor. Knives that cut with a rocking motion, such as the Rocker Knife, make cutting food easier. Many people with PD also find it helpful to use travel cups with lids and/or straws attached, as well as plates with a scooped edge to avoid spills.2

Weighted Button Aid – The heavy, large grip handle of the Weighted Button Aid makes pulling a button through its hole much easier.

Zipper pulls – Zipper pulls attach a ring to the tiny handle on zippers, making them easier to grasp and zip up or down.

Magnetic buttons – Magna Ready provides dress shirts that have buttons on the outside that close with magnets on the inside.

Shoes with Velcro or elastic shoelaces are easier to fasten than those with shoelaces.2,3

Assistive devices for the bathroom. There are a number of assistive devices that can help make the bathroom safer and more manageable. Bars or handrails can be added to tubs and showers to make it easier for the person living with PD to get in and out. Non-skid mats or decals are also good for reducing the risk of slipping. Tub chairs or benches can be used for sitting in the tub, and raised toilet seats or grab bars near the toilet can make it easier to sit down and get up. Electric toothbrushes and electric razors make daily grooming easier, and touch faucets can be installed that turn on water with a simple touch when turning handles becomes difficult.3,4

Assistive devices for writing. The motor symptoms of PD can make holding and using a writing instrument challenging. To make it easier, there are writing devices that are easier to grip, like the Ergo-Sof PenAgain, and Weighted Universal Holders that fit most round items like a pen, pencil, or a toothbrush. Other writing utensils are designed to help improve shaky penmanship, like the Steady Write Pen and the Popping Pen.2​Getting professional help Occupational therapists often work with people with PD to help them accomplish everyday tasks that are important to them, such as eating, dressing, and work activities. They may suggest changes to the environment, the task, or the person’s skills needed for the task.5

We invite anyone living or working within San Mateo County to join us.The County of San Mateo is making a new plan for its federal housing resources. We need your help to identify the most pressing housing and community needs to prioritize limited federal funding for the next five years. ​When: DEC. 14 THURS 7-8:30PMWhere: (PACIFICA COMMUNITY CENTER) 540 Crespi Dr, Pacifica, CA 94044REFRESHMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED Please contact us with any questions or requests for assistance at Department of Housing (650) 802-5050

Have you always wanted to learn sign language? The San Francisco Recreation Department is offering "Exploring ASL," a one-session introductory course to learn about American Sign Language and Deaf Culture. The course is only $6!